The Reds striker marked his return from injury in style on Saturday, scoring the second goal as Brendan Rodgers’ side beat West Ham 2-0 at Anfield. After five months on the sidelines, it was a sweet moment.

The strike, naturally, came from a Coutinho assist, and Sturridge believes his relationship with the Brazilian will continue to blossom as he eases himself back into action.

“It was great play by Coutinho,” the England frontman said. “We have a great relationship - he knows my runs and I know the types of passes he likes to play as well. He makes my job easier.

“Once I saw him cut inside, I knew the ball would come and it was just a case of getting it under control and hitting the target.

“It was a great feeling to help my teammates get three points. That’s the most important thing - to just be out there and helping the team win games.”

Sturridge’s last outing for Liverpool prior to the weekend was in the 3-0 win at Tottenham back in August. In his absence, Rodgers has struggled to find a way to get his team scoring freely.

Raheem Sterling has operated as the focal point in attack for most of the last two months, and Sturridge says the 20-year-old, who also scored against West Ham, deserves credit for the way he has adapted to his new role.

He said: “He’s done extremely well. He’s working hard and I’m proud of him as his ‘older brother’ to look at him and see how well he’s done.

“I just hope he continues to work hard and play in the way he has because he’s improving every single day. He takes it in his stride - he doesn’t get too big headed, he doesn’t get overly confident with anything.

“I take him under my arm when he goes through difficult times as well, but I give him all the credit in the world and I’m really proud of him.”

Next up for the Reds is an FA Cup fourth round replay at Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday night. And Sturridge is looking forward to a return to the club he spent four months on loan with back in 2011.

“I’ve got a lot of love for Bolton for what they’ve done for me and my career,” he added. “

They’ll always be in my heart, but I’ll be going out there looking to score goals and help my team win games.

“We’re looking forward to it, we’re ready to go. It’s going to be a big game on Wednesday and we want to advance in the cup.”